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Despite the high flow of foreign assistance and foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries, the potential of agricultural production remains low and stagnant. Accordingly, it is interesting to know how each type of foreign capital (FDI and foreign aid) affects the agricultural output? And what are the most effective forms of aid that increase agricultural production? The main objective of this study is to give answers to these equations using data for 50 developing countries over the 1995–2015 period. Our results indicate, first, that the effect of FDI only (without foreign aid) has a positive and significant effect on agricultural production. Second, we found that the four forms of foreign aids [notably social-infrastructure-aid (SIA), investment aid, non-investment-aid, agriculture–forestry–fishing-aid (AFFA)] have positive and significant effects on agricultural production. Finally, when we introduced both variables in the model, we found that FDI and two types of foreign aids (SIA and AFFA) have positive and significant effects on agricultural production. In conclusion, the synergies inherent between FDI, SIA, AFFA, increase twice the agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the significant increases in international reserves during the 2000s, this paper analyzes the reasons why emerging and developing countries choose to accumulate them. In addition to a traditional measure of mercantilism, we add the terms of trade, and the speculation-deterrent motive. The results show that the mercantilist motive was a significant factor behind the massive accumulation of reserves before the global financial crisis, and it was almost as important as the precautionary motive. It is shown that commodity-exporting countries increased reserves for a fundamentally mercantilist motive. Finally, the speculation-deterrent motive was also an important factor during the 2000s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a cross-country empirical analysis of the impact of corruption on foreign direct investment flows. The gravity model augmented with joint effects of corruption in the origin and destination countries determines differentiated patterns of investment flows between countries with various levels of control of corruption. The estimates point towards greater investment flows between countries with good control of corruption. Moreover, if control of corruption in the destination country improves, investment flows from cleaner countries rise more strongly than those from countries with a higher incidence of corruption. The resulting shift towards a greater share of investment from low-corruption countries may further reinforce the strengthening of economic and political institutions that keep corruption in check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the drivers of the retrenchment in cross-border banking in the European Union (EU) since the global financial crisis, which stands out in international comparison as banks located in the euro area and in the rest of the EU reduced their cross-border claims by around 25%. Particularly striking is the sharp and sustained reduction in intra-EU claims, especially in the form of deleveraging from cross-border interbank loans. Examining a wide range of possible determinants, we identify high non-performing loans as an important impediment to cross-border lending after the crisis, highlighting the spillovers from national banking sector conditions across the EU. We also find evidence that prudential policies can entail spillovers via cross-border banking in the EU, albeit with heterogeneity across instruments in terms of direction, magnitude and significance. Our results do not point to a major role of newly introduced bank levies in explaining cross-border banking developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of regional versus global savings in financing domestic investment to shed light on the role of financial globalization and regionalism in capital markets. Regression results based on six regions with 141 countries reveal that although the role of foreign (global or regional) saving has increased over time, there are regional differences: domestic saving is the major source of investment financing in North America with an increasing role of regional and global savings over time, while regional saving is the main source in Europe. Global saving has been the main source of investment financing in other regions where domestic and regional financial markets are not well developed. However, the role of regional saving has significantly increased in recent years in the Asia-Pacific and in Latin America. Regionalism such as financial and monetary cooperation is likely to have increased the role of regional saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent boom of investor-state disputes filed under international investment agreements has fueled a controversial academic and policy debate. We study the impact of these compensation claims on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the responding host country. Our econometric analysis focuses on differences in the FDI response from BIT-partner and non-partner countries of developing host countries. This approach allows us not only to distinguish competing hypotheses about BIT function, but also to address endogeneity concerns in earlier studies. We find that BITs stimulate bilateral FDI flows from partner countries—but only so long as the developing host country has not had a claim brought against it to arbitration. Our results provide an additional explanation for the policy-changes observed in many states subsequent to their first experience of an investor-state dispute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) are an increasingly used policy instrument to encourage FDI inflows, particularly inflows into developing countries. In this paper we estimate a gravity model of FDI flows from a sample of OECD countries to a broader sample of developing economies, examining the impact of BITs on these flows. BITs are signed between highly heterogeneous country-pairs, with important differences found in terms of the institutional and economic distance between BIT signatories. These differences may help explain the mixed results on the effects of BITs on FDI flows in the existing literature, with our exploration of non-linearities in this relationship suggesting that the effects of BITs are increasing in the difference in GDP and GDP per capita between source and host. BITs appear to have no impact upon FDI flows for country-pairs that are too dissimilar in terms of the strength of their political institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a formal model that looks at the mutually endogenous determination of foreign direct investments in the extraction of natural resources, at the decision of host governments to expropriate these investments, and at the level of corruption. Higher investments in resource extraction make expropriation more attractive from the perspective of national governments. A low expropriation risk is in turn an important determinant of international investments and is therefore associated with high levels of resources extraction. Moreover, investments in the resource sector also raise corruption. Our theoretical predictions are confirmed by estimations of a simultaneous equation model in which we endogenize expropriation risk, corruption, and resource extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the factors associated with foreign direct investment 'surges' and 'stops', defined as sharp increases and decreases, respectively, of foreign direct investment inflows to the developing world and differentiated based on whether these events are led by waves in greenfield investments or mergers and acquisitions. Greenfield-led surges and stops occur more frequently than mergers-and-acquisitions-led ones and different factors are associated with the onset of the two types of events. Global liquidity is the factor significantly and positively associated with a surge, regardless of its kind, while a global economic growth slowdown and a surge in the preceding year are the main factors associated with a stop. Greenfield-led surges and stops are more likely in low-income countries and mergers-and-acquisitions-led surges are less likely in resource-rich countries than elsewhere in the developing world. Global growth accelerations and increases in financial openness, domestic economic and financial instability are associated with mergers-and-acquisitions-led surges but not with greenfield-led ones. These results are particularly relevant for developing countries where FDI flows are the major type of capital flows and suggest that developing countries' macroeconomic vulnerability increases following periods of increased global liquidity. As countries develop they typically become more exposed to merger-and-acquisition-led surges, which are more likely than greenfield-led surges and stops to be short-lived and associated with domestic macroeconomic policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors investigate whether better information about the macroeconomic environment of an economy has a positive impact on its capital inflows, namely portfolio and foreign direct investment (FDI). The purpose of the study is to explicitly quantify information asymmetries by compliance with the IMF's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The authors find that compliance with the SDDS increased FDI inflows by an economically relevant magnitude of 56 % while there are no such aggregate effects for portfolio flows. The empirical strategy demonstrates that the effect runs from SDDS to FDI and not vice versa, introduces a test for endogeneity bias due to omitted variables, and tests for spatial correlation in the residuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue that competitive diffusion is a driver of the trend toward international investment agreements with stricter investment rules, namely defensive moves of developing countries concerned about foreign direct investment (FDI) diversion in favor of competing host countries. Accounting for spatial dependence in the formation of bilateral investment treaties and preferential trade agreements that contain investment provisions, we find that the increase in agreements with stricter provisions on investor-to-state dispute settlement and pre-establishment national treatment is a contagious process. Specifically, a developing country is more likely to sign an agreement with weak investment provisions if other developing countries that compete for FDI from the same developed country have previously signed agreements with similarly weak provisions. Conversely, contagion in agreements with strong provisions exclusively derives from agreements with strong provisions that other FDI-competing developing countries have previously signed with a specific developed source country of FDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect that a country's business regulatory environment has on the amount of foreign direct investment it attracts. We use the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business ranking to capture the costs that firms face when operating in a country. Several interesting results emerge. Firstly, the Doing Business rank is highly significant when included in a standard empirical foreign direct investment (FDI) model estimated on data averaged over the period 2004-2009. Secondly, the significance of the overall Doing Business is driven by the Ease of Trading Across Borders component. Thirdly, the relationship is significant for middle income countries, but not for the World's poorest region, Sub-Saharan Africa, or for the OECD. Finally, we find no evidence that the ease of doing business of nearby countries has an effect on the FDI that a country gets in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows that financially remote countries exhibit more positive net external positions, hence hinting at external funding problems for more remote countries. This finding is found to be stronger for emerging and developing countries. However, being located near financially very open countries, being in currency unions with creditor countries, or being highly integrated through financial and trade linkages with a 'core' country facilitates net external borrowing. We also find evidence that remoteness affects primarily the gross liability side of the external balance sheet and has a stronger impact on the net equity position than on the net debt position. Consequently, the paper demonstrates the important role of geographic and bilateral factors for a country's net external wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper evaluates the empirical effects of labor market institutions (LMI) on foreign direct investment (FDI) decisions using an individual dataset describing French firms' expansion strategies in OECD countries over 1992-2002. First, we provide evidence that labor market institutions do matter in location decisions. Precisely, we show that labor market rigidity significantly reduces the country's attractiveness for foreign investors. Yet, the effect is of limited magnitude compared to FDI determinants related to the country's market potential or supply access. Second, we go deeper in the precise role of various LMI dimensions. In line with the literature, we find that stringent employment protection laws have a dampening effect on the location probability. Besides, we show that this is not the only dimension that matters. In particular, we find that the generosity of the unemployment benefit system plays a significant negative role on the country's attractiveness, even once the role of employment protection is controlled for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the extent to which migration-related capital flows can explain the variation in investment rates and current and capital account imbalances in OECD countries. We begin with a general equilibrium model of a small open economy in which migration is exogenous. Migrants must be equipped with capital, and the resulting demands for capital will generate cross-border flows of capital. Next, we move to an empirical exercise in which we allow both capital and labor flows to be endogenous. We test this model using data from a panel of OECD countries. We conclude that migration flows do in fact generate substantial matching capital flows. We calculate that increased migration may have accounted for as much as one-fifth of the increase in the US current account deficit since 1960. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of inward and outward FDI on income inequality in Europe using panel cointegration techniques and unbalanced panel regressions. Our main result is that both inward FDI and outward FDI have, on average, a negative long-run effect on income inequality. This result is robust to employing alternative estimation methods, controlling for potential outliers, using different measures of FDI and inequality, and changing the period and sample selection. Other findings are: (i) while the long-run effect of inward and outward FDI on income inequality is clearly negative, their short-run effect appears to be positive. (ii) Long-run causality runs in both directions, suggesting that an increase in inward and outward FDI reduces income inequality in the long run, and that, in turn, a reduction in inequality leads to an increase in inward and outward FDI. (iii) There are large cross-country differences in the long-run effects of inward and outward FDI on income inequality; for some countries the long-run effects on income inequality are positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on firm heterogeneity and trade has highlighted that most trading firms tend to engage in both importing and exporting activities. This paper provides some evidence that helps understanding to what extent this is the result of a two-way relationship. Using firm-level data for a group of 27 Eastern European and Central Asian countries from the World Bank Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS) over the period 2002-2008, we estimate a bivariate probit model of exporting and importing. After controlling for size (and other firm-level characteristics) we find that firms' exporting activity does not increase the probability of importing, while the latter has a positive effect on foreign sales. This effect is mainly channeled through an increase in firm productivity and product innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first investigation into the performance of foreign-controlled enterprises in German manufacturing, based on new micro-data from official statistics. A comprehensive set of performance variables is examined, not only by comparing unconditional mean values but also by accounting for other determinants and differences across distributions. The analysis reveals a foreign ownership performance premium with regard to productivity, research and development, export intensities, and average wages. Only profitability seems not to differ from German-owned enterprises. Results are verified by varying comparison groups of indigenous firms and separating for high- and low-tech sectors. Furthermore, a breakdown by country of origin and type of group head shows considerable heterogeneity within the group of foreign-controlled affiliates in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on matching techniques in combination with a difference-in-difference estimator, this paper estimates the effects at home of initiating production abroad through the establishment of a foreign production affiliate. The analysis covers manufacturing and service firms active in France during the period 1987-1999. We show that the motivation to start producing abroad is an important determinant of its impact at home. Market-seeking foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing is associated with significant scale effects, resulting in job creation. By contrast, factor-seeking FDI in manufacturing has no significant effect on employment. However, there is some evidence that this type of FDI is associated with technology effects, in the form of greater capital-intensity and efficiency, as well as larger exports. Finally, FDI in service sectors is associated with significant positive employment effects, presumably reflecting the importance of the market-seeking motive in these sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although spatial hypotheses are not new in the FDI literature, their examination in the dynamic context of the 'investment development path' (IDP) provides some new insights. In this paper, we examine proximity to markets at different stages of the IDP as a determinant of a country's own foreign direct investment (FDI) pattern. Our main contribution lies in the empirical estimation of the importance of spatial determinants for the emergence of inward and outward FDI. Our results support that distance to countries at higher stages up the IDP which are better integrated into the world FDI network, has a negative effect on the probability of transition from any stage of the IDP to the next. The magnitude of the impact is generally increasing in the stage of the surrounding markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent empirical studies of the determinants of multinational activity across countries have found overwhelming support for a horizontal rather than a vertical model of foreign direct investment (FDI). They all use US or other developed country data. This paper, in contrast, uses a detailed industry-level data set on FDI in a relatively skilled-labor and capital scarce country, Mexico, to shed light on the determinants of FDI between largely dissimilar countries. The results indicate considerably more support for a comparative advantage motive for FDI, although a market access motive is present as well. The correlation between skill differences and FDI is positive in all industries, but when differences are large, FDI flows into sectors that are intensive in total labor, regardless of skill level. The concentration of multinational activity in (unskilled) labor intensive industries suggests a potential for spillover effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a methodology to measure the degree of economic integration between nations that are members of an integrated area. We show that a fully integrated economic area (IEA) is characterized by three properties regarding the distribution of member shares of total IEA output and total IEA stocks of physical and human capital. We then show that the expected distribution of member shares within a fully IEA is a harmonic series, with the share distribution depending only on the number of IEA members. This property is then used to develop a composite indicator of the degree of economic integration within an IEA that indicates the distance between the theoretical and actual distribution of shares: the closer is the actual distribution to the expected distribution, the greater the degree of integration. We empirically compute our degree of integration for US states, and alternative regional trading agreements (e.g., EU countries, MERCOSUR, Bangkok Agreement, etc.) and a 'world' comprising 64 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in foreign direct investments raises concerns about labor market consequences in many countries. It is feared that multinational firms are inclined to shift jobs abroad and increase job volatility. We use firm-level data to examine if multinationality and foreign ownership affect the wage elasticity of labor demand. Unlike previous studies, we distinguish the effect on different skill groups of employees. We find no general difference in wage elasticity between foreign and domestic firms but the wage elasticity is higher in multinational firms than in national firms, in particular for medium-skilled workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many firms cite financial constraints as some of the most important impediments to their investment and growth. Using a unique data set from the Czech Republic this paper investigates the importance of financing constraints in the context of exporters. It finds that exporters are less financially constrained than non-exporters. However, after carefully correcting for possible endogeneity and selection issues, the evidence points to less constrained firms self-selecting into exporting rather than exporting alleviating firms’ financial constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers in developing countries have increasingly pinned their hopes on bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in order to improve their chances in the worldwide competition for foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the effectiveness of BITs in inducing higher FDI inflows is still open to debate. It is in several ways that we attempt to clarify the inconclusive empirical findings of earlier studies. We cover a much larger sample of host and source countries by drawing on an extensive data set on bilateral FDI flows. Furthermore, we account for unilateral FDI liberalization, in order not to overestimate the effect of BITs, as well as for the potential endogeneity of BITs. Employing a gravity-type model and various model specifications, including an instrumental variable approach, we find that BITs do promote FDI flows to developing countries. BITs may even substitute for weak domestic institutions, though probably not for unilateral capital account liberalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents empirical evidence of the effect of FDI inflows on productivity convergence in Central and Eastern Europe, using a new and harmonized industry-level data set. Four conclusions stand out. First, there is a strong convergence effect in productivity, both at the country and at the industry level. Second, FDI inflow plays an important role in accounting for productivity growth. Third, the impact of FDI on productivity critically depends on the absorptive capacity of recipient countries and industries. Fourth, there is important heterogeneity across countries, industries and time with respect to some of the main findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically analyzes the impact of exchange-rate uncertainty, exchange-rate movements, and expectations on foreign direct investment (FDI). Using data on US outward FDI for the period 1984–2004 we examine two competing measures of exchange-rate volatility. While the standard measure yields a discouraging effect on FDI outflows in all industries the alternative risk specification reveals a clear distinction between manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries, with the latter showing a positive correlation with increased exchange risk. A real appreciation of host-country currency was associated with higher FDI flows, while expectations about an appreciation showed a negative result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial globalisation has been associated with divergent current account patterns in emerging markets. In this paper we test for the relevance of financial market characteristics in explaining different current account patterns in emerging Europe and emerging Asia. We find that better developed and more integrated financial markets increase emerging markets’ ability to borrow abroad. The degree of financial integration within the convergence clubs as well as the extent of reserve accumulation are found to be the most significant factors to explain divergent current account patterns in emerging Europe and emerging Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign Direct Investment and Productivity Spillovers: Evidence from the Spanish Experience. - The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on firms' productivity using a panel of Spanish manufacturing firms for the period 1990-1998. Firstly, we show that for countries, like Spain, that are undergoing significant structural changes over the period in question it is important to control for both time-invariant as well as time-variant sectoral characteristics. Secondly, we confirm previous findings that one needs to take into account the 'absorptive capacity' of firms when considering whether they are able to avail of externalities associated with FDI presence. For the Spanish case we find that only firms with sufficient levels of such capacity experience positive spillovers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exchange Rate Expectations and Foreign Direct Investment Flows. - Theories about exchange rate expectations are difficult to check empirically. We study FDI data to find indirect evidence on the formation of exchange rate expectations by foreign direct investors. Using panel data techniques on exchange rate movements and FDI flows from the United States to 20 OECD countries we find that skewness of devaluations has a robust positive impact on FDI flows while average devaluation and its volatility do not. We view this evidence as consistent with the hypothesis that relatively large exchange rate movements generate mean-reverting long-run expectations. This finding is consistent with survey-based evidence on exchange rate expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do International Investment Income Flows Smooth Income? - One mechanism by which international capital market integration can smooth consumption is to stabilize national income. In order to provide income smoothing, net international investment income should negatively co-vary with GDP. Moreover, to maximize stabilization of GNP in the face of GDP fluctuations, the yield on foreign assets should move countercyclically and the yield on foreign liabilities procyclically. In both time series and panel settings, we reject these hypotheses, suggesting that positive gross international investment income positions are not associated with income smoothing at businesscycle frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade, Capital Mobility, and the German Labour Market. - This paper sets up three structural variants of a general equilibrium model of a small open economy with three sectors (exportables, importables, non-tradables) and three factors (internationally mobile capital and immobile skilled and unskilled labour) in order to analyse the employment and wage effects of globalisation shocks. The model is numerically implemented for West Germany in 1980 on the base of input-output tables and employment data from a random sample of social security accounts. Overall this study indicates that the globalisation process does not have strong effects on unemployment and/or the wage differential in West Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual Property Rights and Licensing: An Econometric Investigation. - Licensing has been virtually ignored in the econometric literature on intellectual property rights (IPRs). We discuss theoretical effects of IPRs on decisions to license technology internationally. Based on a theoretical model we specify a reduced-form econometric equation relating the volume of U.S. licensing to measures of technology protection and other variables in licensee nations. The model is applied to data for 23 countries in a panel covering 1985, 1990, and 1995. The results indicate that countries with stronger patent rights attract larger arm' s-length volumes of licensed technology, though we are unable to distinguish between licensing quantities and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Review of World Economics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Review of World Economics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Review of World Economics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)